


As Long As He Had Them

by lol-phan-af (lol_phan_af)



Series: ot4 Origins (1-800-did-I-ask) [8]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Modern AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6890290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lol_phan_af/pseuds/lol-phan-af
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hercules goes back to college after the summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long As He Had Them

It had been three months since Hercules' birthday, and he could probably swear on the Bible that he hadn't though of anything other than the moment he was supposed to be asleep for the entire time.  
  
It was his first day back to campus for his senior year of college, excitement coursing through his veins. Thankfully he had a single dorm again. How would Alex, Lafayette, and John break into his room if someone else was in it?  
  
Probably louder and much more often, if he was being honest with himself.  
  
He walks in his dorm, literally wanting to burst into tears at the fact that his three best friends, who he hasn't seen in months, are already standing in it.  He's not sure whether to be happy, amazed, or in a state of disbelief.  
  
"You know, when I told you where my dorm was in the group chat, I didn't expect you to be there before I got to it," he tells them. He sets down his duffel bag, the only bag he has until his parents bring the rest of his stuff later. He realizes then that he wasn't as ready to see them as he'd thought.  
  
They're all tanner than before, he notices. Alex's hair is a little longer. His dark circles are a little less prominent and he looks well rested for the first time since Hercules has met him. He stands up straight unlike before, looking at Hercules like he's the best thing in the world to him right now.  
  
Lafayette's hair is slightly shorter, probably cut it themselves. The curly tendrils are ever-present, though, branching out in the soft way that Hercules loves. They're wearing shorts that show more than they hide and a loose tank top that's cut so that you can see straight inside of it. Lafayette probably cut that, too. Hercules is literally salivating and he feels gross about it.  
  
John's hair has stayed the same, except much frizzier. It's pulled up into a ponytail like he's trying to stop it in its tracks, complete with at least seven bobby pins attempting to hold the mass of it all down. His freckles are less prominent now, hiding under his tan. The look in his eyes matches Alex's and he's beaming at him.  
  
"What's the fun in that?" Alex asks, smiling at Hercules. Hercules rolls his eyes, walking over to Alex and pulling him into a hug. Alex pulls away first, knowing Lafayette and John will forcibly remove him from Hercules if he didn't.  
  
"How was your summer?" John asks into his chest.  
  
"Good enough. It was kind of boring without you guys there, though. You guys?"  
  
"A mess. I stayed with Laf at the Washington's and the amount of outdoor activities they insist on doing is punishable by death," Alex responds. Lafayette rolls their eyes. John stays silent, more content with watching them all sharing their anecdotes than sharing his own.  
  
Hercules laughs. "I know, I got the text messages." Alex sighs, falling onto his bare bed, a strip of skin peeking from where his T-shirt rode up. Hercules' eyes focus on it, only snapping back to reality when Lafayette slaps Alex in the stomach, causing Alex to recoil.  
  
"Well you definitely didn't get the text message where me and Alex are living together, because apparently Alex just couldn't get enough of me this summer," Lafayette says. Alex groans, turning on his stomach to hide his red face. John laughs.  
  
"Shut the fuck up, Laf," Alex mumbles into the mattress. Lafayette laughs, draping their body on Alex's. As soon as they're completely settled, their eyes widen.  
  
"This was a mistake," they say.  
  
"Please get off of me."  
  
"Alex."  
  
" _Please_."  
  
"You're so sweaty."  
  
"It happens!"  
  
"Alex."  
  
" _PLEASE_."  
  
Lafayette grimaces as the exposed parts of their skin, which is most of it, physically cleaves itself from Alex's. Alex shudders, jiggling around to forget the feeling of being momentarily attached to someone.  
  
"Are you alright, Alex?" Hercules asks when Alex still hasn't stopped wiggling around after an entire minute. Alex stills.  
  
"Hercules, I just became a conjoined twin for a good five seconds, I need time to adjust," Alex says, turning his head away from them.  
  
They help him put his stuff away in the small amount of organization storage he brought, singing various songs as they went along. They finished quickly, given that Hercules has brought the bare minimum on his day back.  
  
"We should do something for the first day with all of us back. Like dinner or something," John tells them.  
  
"I'm down," Hercules says.  
  
\---  
  
They end up once again at the Dairy Queen they went to on the day they all met each other. Hercules looks at all of them, considering the fact that all of them have changed since then, but they were all still the same people.   
  
Alex still works too hard, jumps into things too hastily. He still orders the food for them when they get up to the counter. He still has ice cream dripping halfway down his hand by the end of the night because he was too focused on talking to the three of them to actually eat what he paid for. He still talks too quickly, wildly gesturing with his hands until they become a second language accompanying what he's saying. He still drips ice cream on the pavement. He still refuses to acknowledge it.  
  
John still lets his tiredness show when he thinks nobody's looking, still lets his guard down when he think there's nobody watching his post to care. He still laughs his loud and infectious laugh that can power the whole city until the end of time. He still tries to remind Alex that he's going to become a human anthill if he doesn't lick up his ice cream and he still gets the same fondly exasperated look when Alex doesn't listen.  
  
Lafayette still has their accent, will always let their roots have an influence on them. They still eat ice cream obscenely, which makes John burst into a fit of his beautiful laughter and Alex turn a shade of red he's only seen in paintings. They still refuse to apologize for being who they are and they still flirt with the Dairy Queen cashier shamelessly. They still wipe off the number of the girl off of their hands, and the ink still smears the same way.  
  
They walk back to campus, taking their time. Alex licks the ice cream off his hands, their conversation stopping to watch him. It really shouldn't look like that, but it does, and then all of them are thinking that and suddenly it's not just the summer heat making them sweat. They've all halted to an unexplained stop, feet melting the cement and sinking into it.  
  
"What are you guys stopped for? Come on!" Alex says, waving his arm for them to follow him. There's a sunset coloring the sky, the last portion of the sun almost gone behind the horizon. It illuminates him beautifully and takes all of their breath away. They're so in love with him, and it's terrifying.  
  
They fall asleep in Hercules' dorm, and Hercules finds himself admitting to himself in the darkness of that night that the whole world could collapse around them right now, and he wouldn't care.  
  
As long as he had them.  

**Author's Note:**

> THIS GOT REALLY SAPPY??? IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO?????? I?????


End file.
